Desert biomes are the driest of the biomes.
Because desert conditions are so harsh, plants must adapt to compensate for a lack of water.

In fact, the main feature of a desert is that it receives very little rainfall.

Most deserts receive less than 300 mm of rain per year, whereas rainforests receive more than 2,000 mm.

That means that the desert receives only 10% of the rainfall that a rainforest receives!

The temperature during the day averages 38°C, while at night it can drop to -4°C in some deserts.

The temperature varies greatly depending on where you are in the desert.

Therefore, the desert only receives 10% of the rainfall that a rainforest does.

Because the air is so dry and heat escapes so quickly at night, the temperature in the desert can vary significantly from day to night.

The average daily temperature is 38°C, while at night, it can fall as low as -4°C in some desert regions.

The location of the desert has a significant impact on the temperature as well.

Because desert conditions are so harsh, the plants that live there must adapt to compensate for the lack of water.

Some plants, such as cacti, store water in their stems and use it slowly, whereas others, such as bushes, conserve water by having few leaves or large root systems to collect water.

Some desert plant species have a brief life cycle that lasts only during rainy seasons.

A fifth of the surface of the Earth is covered by the desert biome. Depending on the kind of desert, the soil layer in this biome is either sandy, gravelly, or stony. Desert-dwelling species have evolved to the region's extreme aridity; on average, deserts receive no more than 50 centimetres (20 inches) of precipitation per year.

Desert plants have developed adaptations to store water.

Cacti, for example, have enlarged stems that store water and spines that protect these reserves from thirsty animals.

Animals like the black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) have adapted to desert life by having extra-long ears that help transfer excess heat from their bodies into the air.

Arid deserts, also known as hot and dry deserts, have warm temperatures all year. Famous arid deserts include the Mojave Desert in the southwest of the United States and the Sahara Desert, which covers a large portion of the African continent. Compared to scorching, dry deserts, semi-arid deserts are a little bit cooler.